- Date
- December 31, 2000, 10:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Las Cruces, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N29572Cessna 177
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20001231033519A
- Case key
- 50871
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
An inadvertent stall. Factors were excessive airspeed, excessive flare, and improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot flared for landing 4 to 5 feet above the ground using full flaps. The touch down was smooth but airspeed was above stall and the pilot applied back pressure to keep the nose wheel off the ground. The airplane lifted off, stalled, struck the ground and bounced. The pilot attempted to abort the landing, but the airplane swerved off the left side of the runway into sand and brush.
Factual narrative
On December 31, 2000, approximately 1045 mountain standard time, a Cessna 177, N29572, owned by Aviation Enterprises, Inc., and operated by Mesilla Valley Aviation, both of Las Cruces, New Mexico, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain while landing at Las Cruces International Airport, Las Cruces, New Mexico. The private pilot, the sole occupant aboard, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Las Cruces at 1035.
According to the pilot's accident report, he took off and stayed in the traffic pattern with the intention of making a touch and go landing. "My approach was routine and I started my flare 4 to 5 feet above the runway with full flaps," the pilot wrote. "I made a smooth touchdown; however, the airspeed was above stall speed after touchdown. I continued back pressure on the yoke to keep the nose wheel off the ground. The plane became airborne, stalled, came down nose low and bounce. When this happened again, I applied full power and retracted the flaps to abort the landing. The plane ground looped to the left off the runway into sand and brush." The left landing gear collapsed, and the leading edge of the left wing and horizontal stabilator were damaged.
The pilot noted that his only previous experience in the Cessna 177 was with an instructor in February 2000. At that time, he logged 7.8 hours. Commenting how the accident could have been avoided, the pilot wrote: "Better piloting. (1) By holding the plane off the runway until it starts to stall. (2) After touchdown, adjust back pressure on yoke more precisely to control roll out."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29572
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700969
- Airframe hours
- 2,550
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mesilla Valley Aviation
- Registered owner
- Aviation Enterprises, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2000 · 92 hours before
- Departed
- LRU · Las Cruces, NM
- Airport
- LRU · Las Cruces International, runway 08, 6,069 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- December 30, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,013 total · 8 in this make and model · 905 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- LRU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N29572 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.